Summary of prior art splicers: Many of the prior art unwinding (i.e., supplying rather than rewinding) splicers are zero-speed splicers, that is the depleting web is stopped and joined to a prepared, stationary replenishing web. The supply of web to a web consuming device may continue uninterrupted as web is taken from a stored supply of web in a festoon or accumulator. Most of these zero-speed splicers use a cutter that cuts the web with a transverse motion, in a reciprocating cycle.
There are also “flying” splicers and these make a splice by matching the speeds of two webs and then joining them together. These “flying” splicers require costly drive systems and controls.